September 29, 2009 | FISHING REPORT - LITTLE RED RIVER
UPDATE: OCT. 1st - I just got off the phone with the Corps. Due to a special operation on the Greers Ferry Dam removing a bulkhead from a sluice gate, water releases through the weekend will be restricted to "fish water"! This means small releases for 2-3 hours mid to late afternoon only. As always, water releases are subject to change but this is what the Corps plans to do. Little Red Fishing Report: September 29, 09 The Greers Ferry Power House has been releasing water every day for more than a week to lower our lake level back down to top power pool. Heavy rain events earlier in  September raised the lake level by 2 1/2 feet and into the flood pool by five tenths of a foot. The lake has been lowered one to two tenths of a foot per day with the goal of reaching 461.44 feet above sea level, the preferred maximum. The top power pool level will be reduced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 461.94' above sea level to 461.44' on October 1st. Smaller releases should be realized during the first week in October if we don't get a large rain. Aerial photo of Greers Ferry Dam and National Fish Hatchery.
The Little Red River Action Team chapter 722 of Trout Unlimited in Heber Springs is  hosting the 3rd annual fly fishing film tour in Little Rock. The event is a fund raiser for the chapter and will occur at the Clinton Library & Museum at 7:00 pm on October 10th. Doors will open at 5:30 pm. The tickets are $20.00 in advance and $25.00 at the door. There will be finger food, a cash bar and TU merchandise for sale. This highly popular two hour mini-film festival features exciting segments from the sport's best filmmakers shot in foreign destinations like Papua New Guinea, Russia, Belize as well as domestic waters from California and Colorado to southern Louisiana and the Florida Keys. The films offer a great blend of sensational footage, hilarious comedy, poignant commentary and some of the largest and most impressive fish ever caught! The Fly Fishing Film Tour is an opportunity for fans of fly fishing to come together to celebrate their sport and support the Little Red River Action Team chapter of Trout Unlimited. The ticket sales are the fund raiser and will be available from TU board members as well as at the Little Red Fly Shop, Ozark Angler in Little Rock and Heber Springs, Lobo Landing, Lindsey's Rainbow Resort and Holland's Exxon in Heber Springs. Donations to the chapter will also be most welcomed. To learn more, please visit www.flyfishingfilmtour.com.
The recently released information from the creel survey conducted on the Little Red River between March 2004 and February 2006 by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission produced some interesting information. An average of 367,000 trout were stocked annually  in our river. Anglers caught an average of 688,988 trout during
the period, of which 186,895 (27%) were harvested and the remaining 502,093 (73%) were released. Catch rates on the
Little Red (1.3 trout/hr.) were some of the highest observed on Arkansas tailwaters (rivers below dams). Rainbow trout made up the majority (92%) of the fish that were stocked annually. Of the 12,640 cutthroat trout stocked during the period, 99.4% were caught though only 4% were harvested. Of the 72,423 brown trout caught, less than 6% were harvested. Anglers caught approximately 123% (29,157) of the 23,640 brook trout stocked each year. Only 2.4% of all brook trout caught were harvested. The next creel study on the Little Red River is scheduled to be conducted for one year starting in 2011. The creel survey will help to evaluate the actions from the trout management plan that was set in 2007. I helped a little in the development of that plan and it looks like it's working to produce larger trout in the river.
Aquatic insect hatches include midges, blue winged olive mayflies, caddis flies, pale morning dun mayflies and sulphur mayflies. The majority of the bugs hatching, however, are the bwo and midges. The most productive dry flies have been the elk hair caddis (#20 tan), bwo (#18-#20), midge (#22) and adams (#18-#20). The best sub-surface flies to try should  include sowbug (#14-#16 tan, smokey olive or uv tan), zebra midge (#16-#22 red, black or copper), San Juan worm (#14 red, fl. cerise or worm brown), red @ss soft hackle (#14-#18) or woolly bugger (#8-#12 olive, brown or black). Which flies are better than others is difficult to ascertain since angler skill is always a factor. As always, stop by the fly shop or shop online to buy local tied flies like the zebra midge pictured here (link). And if we don't have it, we can custom tie it for you.
If you have questions about anything in this report, direct them to me at the Little Red Fly Shop of Heber Springs, Arkansas. My numbers are #888-442-4022 toll free or #501-887-9988. You can send an e-mail to me from the 'Contact' page on the fly shop website. I'm Little Red Jed Hollan, mgr. <*((((><
|
 |
Past Reports
|
